Norma Lois (Bell) Troxell

February 2, 1917 – June 7, 2007

Norma L. Troxell, Ponca City resident, passed away Thursday, June 7, 2007, at the Shawn Manor Nursing Center in Ponca City, OK. She was 90 years of age.

Norma was born on February 2, 1917, to Thomas A. and Lois C. (Hawkins) Bell in Grant County, Oklahoma. She grew up in and received her education in Perry.

She moved to Ponca City in 1937 where she worked as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone for five years.

She married Thomas F. Bateman in April 1937. He preceded her in death in 1956. She was then employed by Montgomery Ward where she met Warren Troxell. They were married in July 1957. He preceded her in death in 1973. Mrs. Troxell worked at Montgomery Ward until it closed, and then was employed as a bookkeeper for Wayne Bell’s Tax Service for 13 years, and retired from the First Baptist Church Day School in 1995 where she was a child care attendant.

She enjoyed flowers and traveling. She was an active member of First Baptist Church for 70 years, participating in the choir and working as a Sunday School teacher with children and youth. She was a member of the Disciples Sunday School Class. She was known as “Aunt Norma” and “Miss Norma” to the many children she taught and chaperoned.

She is survived by her children, Charlotte and Ron Maas of Huntington Beach, CA, Judy and Jim Maynard of Ponca City, OK, Tom and Ophelia Bateman of Oklahoma City, OK, Clyde and Debbie Bateman of Decatur, AL, and Jim and Susan Bateman, Penny and Steven Keller, and Debbi and Joe Wideman, all of Ponca City, OK; grandchildren, William Fagin, Kevin and Tabi Fagin, Glen and Roxie Maynard, Dennis and Karen Zinn, Thomas F. Bateman III, Cindy Bateman, Rhonda Bateman, Trey Dodson, James Bateman, Jr., Michael Bateman, Heather Bateman, Christina Helterbran, Clarence and Ashley Shear, Andrew Keller, Shawn and Jamie Keller, Mark and Tiffany Keller, Ryan Keller, Aaron Keller, Blake Reed and Jessica Koster, and Dalton Fell; 19 great-grandchildren; brothers Cecil Bell and Wayne and Doris Bell; sister-in-Law Mary Lou Bell; and all her special nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, brother Arthur Bell, sister-in-law Doyle Bell, and granddaughter Keli Bateman.

The funeral service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 9, 2007, at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. Jack Shamburger officiating. Burial will follow at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, Falls Creek Scholarship Fund, 218 S. 6th, Ponca City, OK 74601.